Always and Forever
by Kick Caskett
Summary: Based off 4x23 promo. Beckett continues to look into her mother's murder. Castle knows that they will kill her and they will both lose everything. Can Castle change Beckett's mind and make her reconsider what she is doing or will Beckett walk out on them.


**A/N: Hey Castle fanatics! Because I am just so obsessed with Castle at the moment I decided to write a little one-shot based on the "Always" promo (Something I must have watched at least over 100 times) So enjoy…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castle (well that's depressing)**

Rick Castle was sitting at his desk, trying to write another chapter of his next Nikki Heat book. But he wasn't thinking about how Detective Heat was going to find her way out of being tied up in a car that was about the fall into the Hudson River. No, he was thinking about her alto ego, Katherine Beckett. Esposito called him a couple of hours ago to tell him that Beckett had resigned and abruptly left the precinct. Since then, Castle has been trying to call her phone for the last couple of hours straight, and it always went directly to voice mail. Castle left the precinct shortly after Beckett told him that she was searching for her mother's murderer again. He told her that they would kill her if she started to investigate again. But she seemed to ignore his desperate plea. And now he couldn't reach her. His mind was running in overdrive. He had been trying to distract himself from all the scenarios going through his head, but it was no help. He now feared the worst.

His train of thought was broken when he heard a pounding on the door. Martha and Alexis were in the Hamptons this weekend so he was the only one in the apartment. Rick slowly made his made through the silent apartment. The only sound that was auditable was the sound of his footsteps against the hard wood floor. Rick looked through the peep hole on the large wooden frame to see who it was. After recent events he suddenly felt uncomfortable with opening the door straight away. He never could anticipate who would be waiting there for him. He was surprised to find the one and only Katherine Beckett standing there, nervously twiddling her thumbs. She looked like a mess, as if she was just in a brutal fight. Yet to Castle, he had never seen anyone more beautiful. He turned the door knob and slowly opened the only door to his apartment.

"Castle" Her eyes started to light up at the mere look of his face, but they then faded soon after. She was so glad he opened the door. After all she hadn't spoken to anyone about leaving the precinct, let alone Castle.

"What are you doing here Kate?" asked Castle though he didn't really mind. He was relieve to know that she was still alive at the moment. He just hoped that she wasn't about to risk her life.

Beckett went to respond, but she realised she didn't really know herself. She knew she wanted to speak to him, and tell him how she truly felt before it was too late but the words didn't seem to want to come out.

"Can I come in?" asked Beckett. She was trying to avoid all eye contact with him. He had this power of her, it caused a smile to form at the mere sight of his handsome face.

Castle noticed the way her eyes barely left the floor. It was like she was trying to avoid him. However she wanted to come inside, so Castle complied. "Sure" Castle stepped to the side to allow Beckett access to the apartment. Beckett made her way through the apartment she had become so familiar with over the last four years. A place that seemed to feel as warm and cosy as her own apartment. It just felt like a home.

Castle noticed that Beckett stood there very reserved. Her hands were folded and her face was looking down. He could see that she was her for a reason but didn't know where to start. Castle decided he better say something and maybe, just maybe, she might open up to him. "Kate. Why are you doing all of this?"

Kate took in a deep breath. She needed to express all the emotions inside of her and she knew Castle would listen to her. "If I don't go after him now, who knows how long it will be till I get my chance. You know that my mother's murder is the last thing holding up my wall. I need to solve it to let it tumble down"

Castle looked sternly into Beckett's brown eyes. "Kate, what you need to do is stop this investigation. Kate, they will kill you" plainly said Castle. "This man you are going after is well connected and has a lot of power. Are you sure you want to risk everything?"

"I can't let this go" our right stated Kate. Castle saw the determination in her eyes. Something that worried him more than anything else in the world. She was one hell of a determine woman who wasn't going to stop until she catches that son of a bitch who destroyed her life.

Rick was running out of ideas to change her mind. He couldn't lose her. Not now. The thought of losing her made his eyes start to water. Castle hadn't uttered these words since the day he thought he had lost her. If only she could see what would happen if they murdered her just like they murdered her mother. If she only knew how much she meant to him. "Kate" Castle took in a deep breath. "I love you. Does that mean anything to you anymore?" Castle's eyes were now full of tears. It was taking him everything he had to not let them start streaming down his face.

Kate noticed his eyes. She felt her stomach tighten, felling the knots form. She was doing this to him. Something she couldn't bear to see anymore. Her eyes once again fell to the floor. She had known for an entire year now how he really felt. But she couldn't accept that then. She wasn't ready. But now was a different story. Kate took a deep breath and let it out. _It's now or never Kate?_ "Rick. I put all of this behind me before I met you. You made me search into my mother's murder. You made me open the old wounds that I had stitched up." Kate continued, her own eyes starting to fill with tears.

As Kate opened her mouth to continued, Rick interjected. "So you are saying that if anything happens to you, I am to blame." Castle was now fighting harder than ever to stop his tears from falling. _Why couldn't she just put this behind her? _When they started looking into her mother's case they didn't realise the magnitude of it. But now it was a different story. It was now becoming too risky to even investigate now.

"I am not saying that Rick. I am glad you did. You only wanted to help me. After my mother's murder I didn't think I could love anyone. Having someone you love so dearly, taken away made me believe that I could never fully love someone ever again. I have feared for a very long time now that my heart will be broken into so many pieces again and I won't be able to put them back together. By closing this case I might be able to mend my shattered heart from back when I was just a teenager"

"Have you considered me here? You told me just last week that you were ready to accept everything that happened the day you were shot. You and I both know that that was accepting those words I said to you as I thought you were about to die. If anything like that happens again" Castle trailed off. He paused for a moment, remembering the moment when he thought he had lost her forever. "I don't think I could ever forgive myself for pushing you to look into you mothers murder" Castle paused, wanting her to think about the question he just proposed. After all he knew what the people she was going after were capable of and he didn't want his own heart to be shattered into a million pieces.

Beckett didn't answer his question. She had to see his point of view here. He had to show her that fighting for this cause might do more harm than good. It might hurt the man she loves more than anything else in the entire world.

"Just please don't do this" pleaded Castle. He couldn't let her go. She meant everything to him and he knows she feels the same way.

Beckett needed to speak up now. Castle moved his hand up to his face to wipe the tears that were falling. She needed to explain herself. "You once told me that everyone has a story. I need that chapter of my life to have an ending before I can begin a new chapter" she was looking directly into Castle's eyes. She was pleading to his heart and soul that he would understand that she needed to write the end. Why she needed to do what she was about to do. "I just can't leave the story unfinished. I have to know why he did it?"

Castle understood where Beckett was coming from. She needed to gain her own closure before she can move on with her life. And after all he taught her that everyone has a story to be told. And someone or another that story is going to be written. However, he didn't like the fact that she used his own logic against him. A little smile formed on his face. He loved the way she knew him so well. The smile quickly faded though. He realised what he was about to do. He knew that she needed this and if he truly loved her, he was going to have to let her go.

"Be careful" all but whispered Castle. He stepped forward closing the space between himself and Beckett. He placed a slow and gentle kiss on her lips. However she needed more. She needed him. It quickly turned into a more passionate kiss, which neither wanted to ever ended. That moment felt so right. It was two people who loved each other more than anything else in the world, expressed their love for each other. He held her tighter each second, not wanting ever to let her go…

Beckett all of a sudden, began to break free, but Castle stopped her. He had finally got her and didn't want to let her just fall through his fingers. Beckett's eyes were once again drawn to the floor. Castle gently grabbed her face, moving it upwards. He made her look into his eyes, so she could truly see how much he loved he. She needed to see what this was all for.

"I love you too" barley whispered Beckett as she finally broke free of her and Castle's embrace.

Kate slowly made her way to the door, keeping her head down not wanting to make eye contact with the man she loved so much. She knew what leaving meant, and how much this was going to hurt him, if something happened, but this was her only chance to catch the man behind her mother's murder. She needed to get justice for mother, give closure to her father and allow herself to let that wall tumble down and write the ending to that chapter. She knew what she was about to step into, and she just hoped that knowing that the man in front of her would still be here after all of this, made her a stronger person. She glanced back once more before closing the door and leaving. Castle stood there, not wanting to accept that she had just walked out. He knew that she needed him there. He grabbed to the gun he recently acquired out of the draw. He turned his head around and his eyes focused on the picture of himself and Beckett after their first case. He reminded himself why he was doing this before closing the door and going to save the woman he loved more than anything in the world.

**A/N: Well this little fic should last me till Tuesday when I can watch the Season Finale! If you could take the time out to REVIEW and tell me what you think, that would be great! **

**Much Love,**

**Kick Caskett**


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